Research supports "five-second rule" on dropped food

If food drops on the floor and you pick it up within five seconds, it’s still good to eat, right? Many people follow the “five-second rule,” whether it’s true or not. But a new study from Aston University in the U.K. says science confirms this urban legend, saying food picked up after five seconds is less likely to have bacteria than food left on the floor longer.

The researchers observed and recorded the transfer of common bacteria, such as E.coli Staphylococcus aureus, from different floor surfaces—tile, carpet, laminate—to toast, pasta, biscuit, and a sticky sweet. The times observed range from three to 30 seconds.

In the end, it was determined that time and the type of flooring plays a crucial role in the transfer of bacteria to food. When food has been on the floor for more than five seconds, bacteria is most likely to transfer from carpet and tile.

So who follows the five-second rule? The researchers conducted a survey and 87 percent of people say they have followed it, with 55 percent of those people being women.

However, one researcher noted that eating any food that has come in contact with a floor surface still carries a risk of infection and bacteria.

Unmarried women "more likely to die of heart disease"

Unmarried women carry of higher risk of dying from heart disease, concludes a study published in the journal BMC Medicine.

For the study, researchers analyzed data from the UK’s Million Women Study, a national health study involving 1.3 million women. The women completed a health questionnaire at baseline and three years later. Of the women surveyed for hospital admissions and death from heart disease, 734,626 with a mean age of 60 were included in the study.

During follow-up, 30,747 women developed heart disease and 2,148 women died from the disease. Researchers found that women who were married or living with a partner had the same risk of developing heart disease as unmarried women. But women who were married were 28 percent less likely to die from heart disease compared to women who were unmarried.

Researchers say this might be because women with spouses have someone to encourage them to respond to symptoms and seek medical attention, as well as provide emotional support. However, medication adherence has not been proven to be better among married women.

Researchers say there are some limitations to the study, including the diverse definition of being unpartnered. It could be that women who are widowed or divorced rather than never married is what places unmarried at a higher risk of heart disease.

Device to prevent migraines gets FDA approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has, for the first time, approved a device for preventing migraines–a headband that delivers a nerve-stimulating low electrical current. Its inventors believe it could be helpful for migraine sufferers who can’t take drugs.

The device, called Cefaly, stimulates the trigeminal nerve, which has been associated with migraine headaches. It’s manufactured by STX-Med in Herstal, Liege, Belgium, and is available only by prescription for patients 18 and over. It’s designed to be used once a day for 20 minutes.

The FDA looked at a study conducted in Belgium to determine the efficacy of the device. The research involved 67 people who were having at least two migraines a month and who had stopped taking migraine medication for three months prior to the trial.

Results showed that compared with patients who used a dummy device, those using Cefaly had significantly fewer days per month with migraines and used less medication. The device, however, did not eliminate migraines nor reduce their intensity.